President Donald Trump has criticised media coverage of his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Saying their meeting went "great", he accused the media of reporting more "fake news" and reiterated his views on the country's debt.

"Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!" he tweeted.

Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes.....

The meeting was the first between the new US president and the long-serving stateswoman, who leads Europe's largest economy.

The two leaders discussed NATO funding, trade agreements and the international situations in Ukraine and Syria. Merkel said Germany had committed to increasing its military spending to the previously agreed level of 2% of GDP for NATO's European members.

Trump and Merkel shook hands when she arrived at the White House but did not do so in the Oval Office where she frequently leaned towards him while he stared straight ahead, sitting with his legs apart and hands together.

Tillerson in China

Meanwhile, Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been engaging in talks with foreign minister Wang Yi in China to exchange views on “issues concerning China-US relations and regional security”.

He is also expected to meet China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and Xi.